Will K9 that escaped handler keep its job? ‘Absolutely,’ police say

The El Paso Police Department has been reunited with one of its own. Authorities were concerned earlier this morning after a police dog was on the loose. The dog, a Belgian Malinois named Kyra, has since been found.

According to EPPD, Kyra’s initial handler resigned from the El Paso Police Department, leaving her without a handler. She was recently paired with another officer temporarily and was at that officer’s home when she escaped from the yard.

It happened late Monday night near the area of Montwood Drive and Zaragoza Road in far east El Paso.

Kyra was let out for a break and managed to escape from the yard. El Paso police immediately informed the public through social media.

Although Kyra did not pose a danger to the public, police still warned people not to approach her if they spotted her.

The search for Kyra continued through the night into this morning until she was located by a canine unit supervisor from Animal Services after they received numerous calls from the public.

According to police, K9’s undergo 21-week training academy with the police department.

ABC-7 spoke with the owners of a local K9 training school, Barkerhaus Kennel. The owners are familiar with Kyra’s breed, and when they heard that the Belgian Malinois got loose, they were not surprised.

“They’re still dogs you know. That’s the bottom line. They’re still gonna act like dogs, so the fact that the dog got out, its a Malinois. They’re just the natural athlete. They can go over 6 feet in a blink of an eye,” said Angie Morgan, owner of Barkerhaus Kennel.

ABC-7 asked the El Paso Police Department if Kyra will still stay on the force and it responded, “Absolutely!”